What To Do If Your Dog Has Diarrhea

A morning walk with your Chihuahua, just as the sun has begun to peek, can be very stimulating. However, as you’re escorting him to his basket bed, how will your face be when that smell hits your nose? Uh-oh. Your Chihuahua has diarrhea. Will you get closer to your dog or you’re the kind to jump for your phone and start searching for a local veterinarian nearby?. Are you confusing what to do if your dog has diarrhea?.
In this post, I’m going to share with you about dog diarrhea and the measures you can take to handle it effectively.

What is Dog Diarrhea?

Unlike cats which are very selective, dogs tend to put almost anything in their mouth. This is one of the reasons which make diarrhea a very common problem for them. The symptom involves passing of very soft or water-like stool.

Just as you don’t see the doctor after every spurt of diarrhea, there is no need calling the vet for a short-lived one in your dog. Observe him plus his diarrhea closely and come up with your own questionnaire. Since it’s “Your” pet and you possibly know it in and out, develop questions that analyze it fully.

Some of the questions you can come up with are like:

• Did diarrhea occur suddenly when in health?
• What’s the overall state of the dog
• Does his diarrhea have blood
• Is it an ongoing condition, etc.

After coming up with the answers to your questions, you’ll be able to identify the cause of diarrhea in your dog very easily. In case it’s a condition which has been ongoing for some time, you can get a homeopathic or holistic vet.

What Causes Diarrhea in Dogs

There are various causes of diarrhea in your Chihuahua or Collie or Poodle. Some of the most common ones include:

Dietary Indiscretion: This effect involves the dog eating leftovers from the trash can, which at times could be bad. It’s possible for the animal to eat even garbage food matter such as toys, rocks, and plastics.

Change in diet: a sudden change from one food to another can also make your dog diarrhea. It can involve an instance like an abrupt shifting from kibble to raw, which then causes irritation or trauma.

Stress: just like you get ulcers from conditions like anxiety, your dog can develop symptom like diarrhea when he has stress. Some conditions that can make him anxious include a drastic change in home life, loss of a loved one, or even the presence of another pet.

Parasites: the presence of intestinal worms, such as hookworm or roundworm, can irritate the gastrointestinal tract of your pet. This then leads to symptoms like diarrhea and several other disorders like itching.

Inflammatory disorder: similar to people, inflammatory bowel disease can also get your dog, which then makes him develop symptoms like diarrhea.

Detox: diarrhea in your dog can occur too when she’s trying to deal with an illness and the bowels are ejecting the harmful bacteria and toxins. This case can be characterized by antibiotics and other medications which upset the gastrointestinal tract.

Bacteria: the presence of bacterial infections, such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Spirochetes, can certainly result in runs.

Tumors/ cancer in the digestive tract can make your dog diarrhea.

After you have identified what might be making your lovely pet to diarrhea, how are you going to stop it? Also, which measures can you take to ensure this never happens again?

What to Do If Your Dog Has Diarrhea

Homeopathy
This involves home remedies that you can try at home when you notice your dog has diarrhea. They include:

Arsenic-um album: a Most effective remedy for a dumpster diving dog who might have eaten something bad. It can also be used when your dog has diarrhea from stress.

Phosphorus: Best when there’s a change in diet and the runs is stinky or has blood.

Mercurius Vivus: The remedy can be used when you notice foul-smelling stools which have mucus and potentially blood. The dog also tends to strain when defecating.

Sulphur: This remedy is essential for a dog with intense diarrhea, which in most cases gets him early in the morning. Diarrhea has a characteristic foul smell and also the dog prefers it cold.

Choose the Right Diet

Fiber foods are very essential in cases of constipation, as well as diarrhea. Give your dog something that is easy to digest, ideally carbohydrates but which has low fat. You can choose foods like pasta, turkey, potatoes, or low fat cottage cheese.

Bach Flower Remedies

In the case of stress, Bach flower essences can really help in calming your dog. It’s natural, gentle, and non-toxic. Some of the best Bach flower remedies you can go for include chicory, heather, or honeysuckle. To administer, you can put it directly in his mouth or add a few drops of it in water.

Fasting

Fasting your dog can also help in the case of diarrhea. During this period (around 24 to 48 hour), give him only water or bone, or broth from vegetables. However, don’t fast the dog which is underweight, too young, or very old.

Give Kefir

Kefir is a very good food source of probiotics which assists a lot in indigestion, as well as keeping the immune system healthy. Probiotics are live microorganisms that are found in various parts of the body of a dog. These microorganisms (commonly called good bacteria) plays an important role when the pet is under stress or has a digestive upset. The best kefir for your dog should be unsweetened and you can get a ready-made one from the grocery store or make your own.

Call Your Vet

In the case of prolonged diarrhea, consult a vet immediately to identify the cause and guide you on the right medication. You can also call or visit him if your dog develops other symptoms like dehydration, vomiting, fever, or decreased appetite. The vet will recommend what needs to be done, including even how you can prevent cases of diarrhea in the future.

As they say, prevention is always better than cure. Some of these measures include:

• Giving your dog vaccinations regularly
• Ensure she is free of parasites
• Keep garbage and spoiled food out of reach of the dog
• Ensure your dog doesn’t eat feces or drink from the puddles during while on a walk.
• Also, make sure the environment of your pet is stress-free

Verdict:

Well, you have it all now. Diarrhea is a problem which is very common in our canine friends, thus, don’t panic or ignore it. Always make sure the environment surrounding your dog is clean and also the food you give him is healthy and nutritious. If you want to change the diet, introduce one food at a time to ensure proper and successful transitioning. I hope that you got some idea about what to do if your dog has diarrhea?.